Summary : The three deceased men were all occupants of a Volkswagen Passat sedan motor vehicle which crashed into a tree down an embankment off the verge of the southbound carriage way of the Donnybrook-Boyup Brook Road, approximately 1.5km east of the Mumballup Tavern. All three men were known to each other. The vehicle had been seen just before 3am in Boyup Brook and the crashed vehicle was located at about 8:30am.

Post mortem examinations on the three deceased men established their cause of death and all three deaths were entirely consistent with the scene, however, concerns regarding how they died were raised by family members of two of the deceased men. The inquest explored the causes of their deaths in the context of the effect of drugs on their injuries.

Post mortem results showed that all three deceased men had varying levels and mixture of drugs in their system. Evidence was heard from an expert forensic toxicologist who stated all were intoxicated to a significant degree, even for experienced users, and were at risk of sudden death due to stimulant intoxication by way of cardiac disturbance in and of itself. In addition the levels of drugs present in the 3 deceased men would have affected them both physiologically and behaviourally and reduced their survival prognosis without rapid and aggressive medical intervention.

Evidence was also heard from the Chairman of the WA Trauma Committee, an experienced trauma specialist, who considered the injuries of all 3 deceased were entirely consistent with a high impact motor vehicle crash. None of the injuries were survivable without rapid and aggressive medical intervention at a tertiary facility which was not forthcoming.

The Deputy State Coroner found that there was nothing in the evidence at the scene, the vehicle or the three deceased men to indicate there were any factors in their deaths other than the outcome of a serious motor vehicle crash involving the three men. All were under the influence of significant levels of illicit substances. The Deputy State Coroner found any other explanation of the deaths would be based on speculation with no supporting evidence.

The Deputy State Coroner found that all three men died by way of accident.